A summer exhibit offers a rare chance to see 40 ancient artifacts collected by Jefferson Caffery, the United States ambassador to Egypt from 1949 to 1955.
His collection has been in storage more than 20 years and has never been exhibited to the public in its entirety. “Finding Egypt in Louisiana: the Ambassador Jefferson Caffery Collection” is on view at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum.
Caffery collected the items while visiting several dig sights, including the Valley Temple, with egyptologist Dr. Ahmed Fakhry and President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt. They range in age from the first Dynasty, more than 5,000 years ago, to the 25th Dynasty.
A Lafayette native, Caffery was a member of the first graduating class of the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute in 1904. SLII became the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Museum Hours:
Tuesday - Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
Friday 9 a.m. to noon
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Monday – Closed
General Information:
Call 337-482-2ART, or visit museum.louisiana.edu